Learn to Live
by Dysfunctional Serenity
Summary: Runawaystuck! Two best friends enter a long abandoned house out in the forest haunted by rumors of a resident monster that kills trespassers and find an unexpected creature dwelling there. Eager to learn more about the strange boy, they slowly befriend the hesitant soul and unknowingly teach him what it means to live. Rated T for swearing.
1. Chapter 1

Hey, name's Aston. Probability is that a lot of you already know me so I won't go much into the formalities. I've been missing for a long time now and I apologize for that, I apologize even more that I can't promise regular updates on this story or really anything. I have a lot going on in the thing we call life and it kinda sucks. I just had a baby boy and we named him Roxle Leonyn S~~~ but he's been in the NICU (Newborn Intensive Care Unit) the past two weeks (all his life) and the doctors guess he can leave next week if he heals completely but if not we'll be there about another three weeks. On an up note: I have time to write now. On a down note: pretty much only until Roxle gets out because I'm getting a shit ton of work thrown on me. While Ryan's working I have to take care of all five of our kids, his elderly parents, and the house. So... yeah. Whatever free time I have will be going into sleeping.

Anyway let's get to what's actually important here: this fanfic! It's a Runaway! fic I've had sitting around forever and I work on it on and off. I was reformatting my stories when I realized I had enough for about three chapters so I decided to post them. I'll post the second next week and the third the week after that and post whenever I have another chapter done from then on. Alright? Alright.

I love all of you and thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

Despite all the warnings I had gotten not to go in there, I was determined to find out what was going on in the old house on the wooded hills. It was quite the infamous place of death and mysterious disappearances though in my searches I found that no one actually knew anyone that supposedly disappeared from there. All the testimonials I heard were from questionable people claiming to have been attacked by a monster that was said to have been 'impossibly huge and strong' but no one bared a mark as proof. Not to mention that if this 'monster' was so terrifyingly amazing that killed everyone that stepped into its territory then why were there so many survivors left with no injuries and all the stories to boast about? I didn't believe a word of anything anyone said. Yes I believed in the supernatural world and most of its creatures but there were just too many claims I knew to be false that couldn't be ignored so I deemed all the stories to be the work of wild superstition and idiots looking to avoid being teased for chickening out on going in the 'haunted house'.

Normally I wouldn't waste my time on such a fake haunting and I wasn't one for playing detective but there was one thing that drove me into investigation and inspection… my best friend Jade went to the admittedly creepy house to study the birds that hovered around the place. Trouble is… she didn't come back after she sent me a text saying she was finished. It'd been three days now and no one's heard from her, odder yet her grandfather who took care of her went missing too. No one was at their house and both of their phones went straight to voicemail. Three days and this was the last place Jade was known to be so there had to be some sort of clue as to her whereabouts or at least what happened to her.

Still… looking up at the worn down mansion of a house covered in overgrowth was kind of intimidating even with all the daylight peeking through the tall trees. Though the lively birds that flew fearlessly around somehow gave the place an almost peaceful feeling that made it more beautiful. Jade probably only saw this side of it rather than its obvious creepy factor. Seriously she was the only person not to be even slightly afraid of a deserted mansion on a hill in the woods but that wasn't really a bad thing, she saw the life that this place teemed with rather than the superstitious lies that were always spread about places like these. I, and everyone the enthusiastic girl came into contact with, really envied that about her.

As if to help lift my spirits about this place, a wonderful tune began to play in my ears that came from inside. It was a lonely song that simultaneously made me feel free as it dragged me from my feet and taught me to fly. Though a bit suspicious about it, I couldn't help but to fall in love with the alluring whistle. The birds chirped along with it and even their wings seemed to follow its strange rhythm. I wondered if Jade too had heard this song and loved it as much as I did. I floated to the front door of the mansion and waltzed in without thinking to knock as if someone were there. Suddenly the song halted and even the birds stopped singing, bringing the dooming aura crashing back down onto me. I found himself not in the welcoming home of life I had a glimpse of but the dark interior of an old beat up house with too much space and not much to fill it with. I was fearful once again of what might be in here, no matter how much I told himself that all the things everyone had said about the place being haunted or being the residency of a demon were just a load of bullshit meant to scare everyone… although I had to admit that it served its purpose well. The outside may have its beauty but the inside was eerily dark and quiet, giving off a doomed feeling that placed a stone in my stomach. All the liveliness that I felt coming in didn't seem to carry over once I got in.

With my dear friend in mind, I braved my first step and nothing happened. Trying to act as if I wasn't scared, I took another and another until I was in the center of the large front room.

"Jade?" I called with a hand cupped over my mouth, hoping for any sort of a response but only my echo returned to me. "Is there anyone here?" I shouted, listening for any indication that there was something else here with me. If there was, I would rather know about it sooner than later. I was startled and spun to face a high window where a black bird landed, it's head tilting to stare at me as if to question my being there. At this point I was asking myself that same question but I knew I had to press on if I wanted to find Jade. The faster I got a move on to find her, the faster we could get out of there.

Ever so slowly I turned my back to the creepy bird that was still staring right at me and tiptoed into another room that seemed to be the kitchen and damn… it looked more like I was in the kitchen of a restaurant. Sure everything was outdated and covered in rust but it looked like it used to be really impressive. Whoever used to live here must have been the classy kind of rich. I found no trace of Jade but… there were a lot of empty bags of bird seed and even a few that were freshly opened. But that didn't make any sense… was someone still here? The next few rooms gave the same results regarding my friend and the fine choice of decor, withered as it was.

A loud scraping sound scratched at my ears, making chills sprint up and down my spine. My reaction time delayed out of fear as I whipped around, my eyes darting left and right in search of the creature that shot in and out of the corner of my vision. Always in the darkness, never making an appearance in full view for me to get an actual glance of. I could only make the guess that it was dangerous based on the sound of its talons scraping on the wooden frame work of the building.

"Who's there?" I yelled and for a moment there was a sudden suspicious quiet that I thought would have calmed my nerves but only seemed to make it worse. Where was it? I turned round and round searching for what could very well be the monster everyone talked about. I almost screamed when a chair behind me was mysteriously thrown over. Regardless of my fear I covered my mouth and took deep breaths, trying to tell myself whatever bullshit 'logical' explanation that popped into my head. Maybe it was just the wind or something, right? Very strong wind… that I couldn't feel. Now was not the time to get scared and run out, not when Jade was possibly here with this thing. I mustered the strength to uncover my mouth and call out again, hoping that I would get a real answer this time. "Hello?" more and more scratches on wood that seemed to be all around me, echoing in the large house which was probably to the benefit of whatever creature or creatures were making them. It was honestly really freaking me out, I had no idea if I was surrounded by dozens of vicious monsters, if it was just the birds outside scraping at the house as they came and went, or if it was all just in my head due to the scary factor of this abandoned house.

"I know someone's here." I shouted into the space around me, hoping that would make whatever it was just come out already but the moment of eerie silence and the feeling of piercing eyes locked on me… I got the feeling I had only woken something up. It was a bad feeling, a very bad feeling indeed. I felt as though I had walked knowingly into a lion's den, thinking that nothing would happen, before hearing its growl and feeling its breath on the back of my neck as it prepared to devour me. "Please…" my puny voice whispered desperately among the frightening noises around me. "I'm just trying to find my friend, Jade, she means the world to me." the skittering suddenly stopped and each suspenseful second that inched on without a sound was agonizing. Then a large, loud flapping spun the air around the house and whipped my hair around. With all the the dust blowing to and fro and all the fear of being killed cluttering my mind, I threw my arms over my head and squeezed my eyes shut as I waited for the pain of the thing's claws to tear into my flesh.

But I wasn't attacked… the flapping stopped and the air calmed; that would normally be a rather good sign but it only served to unsettle me further. Hesitantly I peeked out from the cover of my arms, my eyes widening in awe at the brief shadow I saw on the wall. It looked vaguely human but I also spotted what appeared to be wings before it was gone. Everything was quiet for a time as I looked around, trying to find some sort of clue as to where the creature was, wanting to see it to confirm what I thought I saw. I twisted and turned but I saw nothing so I dragged my feet toward the stairs, taking them up quicker than you would expect for a person that was just terrified out of their mind.

When I reached the top of the stairs, I was startled by a slamming door but rather than run away like I normally would have, I actually ran toward it and tried to yank it open only to find it locked. I banged on the door and called for someone to open it but there was no answer. Pressing my ear to the door I could hear some scratching that… almost sounded like footsteps. Was there really someone in there? I'd been in enough of these ancient houses to know that most of them had secret connections between rooms and hoped this was one was no exception. I darted into the next room and fortunately for him, there was a panel in the closet that was left slightly opened so it was easy to find. I got onto my hands and knees to crawl through the space when I heard a door open though there was no more scratching footsteps rather the large flapping from before returned. I hurried through the crawl space, pushing the panel in the room I desired to be in open with my fist and looked around but there was no one in there.

I was surprised to find that this room was well preserved unlike the rest of the house. Where the wallpaper had peeled away spots of mold could be found on the mildly decayed walls. Cracks spread here and there like webs and even a portion of the ceiling was missing though there was no rubble on the ground where it should have fallen. Perhaps the person had cleaned it up. All the wooden furniture in the room: the bed against the center wall, the dresser on one side, the end table on the other, and the small cabinet under the window were all polished and very well taken care of. They definitely weren't new but someone took great care to make sure age didn't touch them.

Unlike all the others this room's window was without a crack and it even seemed to have been recently washed as it was easy to see through to the outside. Even the pillows and blankets on the bed were clean, the tops of the furniture dusted, the floor swept, and the dirt beaten out of the rugs. Maybe this was the bedroom of whoever still lived here. There were a few old pictures hung above the wall and while age was able to get through to decay the photos, they were still intact enough to make out their stories.

I would have gone to inspect them but something else caught my eye… a skull. It looked like a giant bird skull with red tribal markings around the eyes and beak. Huge black feathers made to look like hair had been attached to the back and they hung quite low. Next to it were a pair of bone gauntlets with red feathers at the elbows and each finger was pointed into a sharp silver talon. Wait a minute… that wasn't just a skull- it was a mask. Curious, I stepped closer to examine them more when there was a loud thump close to the door. I flinched and spun to the door only to see a small paper hung on it. Hearing no other noises, I cautiously stepped toward the paper, it read: 'chek hospitil'. Check hospital?

"The hospital…" all the blood seemed to drain from my body, fearing for Jade's safety. Why would she be in the hospital? Surely nothing… nothing could have happened to her, right? With worry consuming my mind, I walked out of the room and looked around as if I would find whoever was here and left this strange note for me. "Was that meant for me? My friend Jade… is she really in the hospital?" the silence now was empty as if there was nothing and no one there anymore. I no longer felt the gaze that followed me everywhere since I'd entered the house. "Why is she…" tears swelled in my eyes as a dreaded feeling spread in my chest when I wasn't answered, knowing there was no one there to answer me. I wished for the thing to come back even if I had to deal with being scared, I just wanted someone to tell me what happened to my best friend. The lack of an explanation drove me mad and caused a great deal of concern and fear, with it coming more anger. "What did you do to her?" I screamed fearfully, grabbing onto the stair railing tightly as my tears spilled over.

Please… let Jade be okay.

… … …

I did find Jade in the hospital like the note said I would… with a broken leg. She was asleep now but she told the nurses that she had just fallen down the stairs like the clumsy girl she was. I knew that wasn't true as she wasn't a klutz so she must be hiding something. The nurses told also me that they found her lying in the front of the building by herself. They had no idea how she got there but they knew she didn't get there alone on her leg so whoever brought her must have left. She didn't tell them anything, not even where she was which meant that she saw enough in that house to cover it up… maybe she knew about the person there- maybe she saw them! Whoever was in that house knew where Jade was and if she did see them enough to cover for them… maybe they're the one that dropped her off. The only question is what really happened there? I wouldn't know until she woke up and told me all about it.

I muffled a slow yawn with my hand and hung my head, contemplating falling asleep myself for the tenth time but again decided against it in case Jade woke up while I was out. I wanted to know what had happened in that house before going back to investigate, hoping to confront whoever had left me that note. Though it was getting pretty late… maybe I would do it tomorrow because tonight I was going to stay here with Jade to make sure she had company until she leaves in the morning. After I made sure she was settled in bed in her own home, I would head back to my own to check in with my dad before trekking out to the abandoned house. At the very least I wanted to say thank you to the person for letting me know where Jade was.

"Hey John." my blue eyes shot to the girl laying on the bed in front of me to meet a tired green.

"Hey… how are you feeling?" I moved to sit on the edge of her bed, taking her hand in mind.

"Fine, they've been taking good care of me." she smiled gratefully at me, glad that her best friend was here. "How did you find me? Did my grandpa tell you?" I shook my head.

"That's actually what I want to talk to you about… I went to the abandoned house looking for you and... " I looked away from her nervously as if I was worried she wouldn't believe me though I knew she would. "There was someone in there and they left me a note telling me to check the hospital."

"Really?" surprisingly her eyes seemed rather excited. "That's crazy, I was going to tell you about the person!" so she did know something.

"What happened while you were there? Did you see them?" unknowingly my voice sped up in my excitement over the suspense of the mystery.

"Vaguely as I was falling down the stairs, everything was really blurry but I'm sure it was a boy." just like I was Jade started speaking faster, eager to reveal what she knew. Nodding at the new information, I planned what approach I would take to my confrontation tomorrow when suddenly a dark thought crossed my mind.

"Did he push you?"

"No, no, I fell." Jade reassured me, ignoring the angered tone my voice had taken. "I think he was trying to scare me off and when I heard something behind me I turned too fast and my foot slid off the stair. As I was tumbling down, I saw him standing at the top of the stairs. Next thing I know I'm laying here with this stupid thing." she explained, ending with an irritated gesture toward the white cast around her left leg. "Do you think he's the one that brought me here?" I shrugged, relieved to hear that the whole thing was an accident.

"That's what I was thinking." thoughts spun in my head, so many questions I hoped Jade had the answers to but didn't. I was disappointed that I didn't know much more about the mystery but at least I now knew that it really was just someone in there messing with everyone. As a fellow prankster, I felt I _had_ to met with him.

"You should go home and get some rest John," my friend smiled softly, seeing the flurry of questions buzzing in my head that needed some rested thought.

"No, I'm staying here with you tonight." I told her as I sat back in my chair and got comfortable. "There's no way I'm letting you stay another second in this place alone and I already cleared it with my dad so he won't worry." she just smiled a little wider at me.

"Thank you." I returned her kind smile, reaching over to hold her hand again.

"You're welcome Jade."


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry I'm late on getting this up, been busy. Today Roxle is a month old and he's never been out of the hospital but it's looking like that's going to change next week! I noticed that when they upped his feedings above 23ml he would throw up constantly and they started looking for a restriction in his intestines which meant that they had to take him down for six x-rays throughout the day but they said they didn't see any so they didn't know why he was throwing up. They did a test to see how fast things were moving through his system and found that everything was moving super slow, they told me this could be a result of his intestines not being healed from the burns yet (being exposed to the amniotic fluid). They said that would take nearly a full year to heal properly and he could stay in the hospital for that time or he could go home hooked up and I would need special training to take care of his PIC line (long term IV) and NG tube (feeding tube). Of course I choose the latter. They ran a continuous feed to see what the most he could tolerate was and I called it at 23ml so that's where he's staying in feeds. He'll eat the 23ml on his own orally but whatever he doesn't take will be given through the NG and the rest of his nutrients will be given to him through the PIC. I'll start my training today and they said the earliest he'll leave would be Monday so I'm gunning for that. I want to finally leave this place and go home to the rest of our family with my baby.

Hopefully within a week or two after he gets out we're moving to Iowa and Ryan and I are getting married so... yeah. A LOT is going on. So sorry if I don't get around to writing or posting for a month or two until everything calms down.

Anyway, wish us luck!

* * *

I spent a full day with Jade once she got out of the hospital. I tended to everything she needed and was simply just there with her for comfort if she started to feel bummed out about her leg. It wasn't until she fell asleep that I decided it'd be okay to leave. As soon as I got home I spent the rest of the night with my eyes glued to my computer screen, desperately trying to figure out what that mask and gloves were in that house. They weren't just decorations, they were ageless- completely untouched by time and all elements. They had to mean something and I was going to find out what. If I could figure those out, they would led me to figure out who or what the boy in the house was.

It was the early hours of the morning and I still had no solid leads. The closest thing I got was an old stone carving in some museum depicting pictures of a sort of bird god/warrior that would fight alongside Native American tribes hundreds of years ago. When I first found it, I thought maybe I had something but that hope was crushed when I read on and found out that this supposed god was apparently just a mere mortal which meant he would be long dead by now. Still, if I couldn't find anything else within a few minutes I could try that the next time I went to the house and see if it got a reaction out of the guy living there.

I changed my search for the countless time and interestingly enough, the first suggestion that came up said something about 'The Demon Crow' in an old freak show. I didn't know how that could be relevant but something told me I finally found what I was looking for.

"The Scratch Freak Show has hosted a number of popular oddities for decades now. Whether you're looking for tightrope walkers or sword eaters, this show has it all. It has even been known to showcase a living human skeleton and a two-headed twin in the past. All of these peculiarities, however, pale in comparison to the mysterious Demon Crow which has been travelling in the show for some time now. Flying over audiences adorned in chains to mark the murders he has committed and always covered in strange tribal markings, this beaked boy with birdlike feet and black wings is unlike anything you've seen before. Recently, however, this beast has vanished after the passing of the previous owner, Doc Scratch. No one from the staff has made an official statement on the Demon Crow's disappearance. As a result, the public can only wonder as to what truly happened to the creature."

There was a picture to go with the article and to my surprise and amazement, the person in the photo wore the exact same mask and gauntlets I had seen in the bedroom. Was it possible that the Demon Crow was still alive and haunting the abandoned house? But then why had he left Jade alive and even taken her to the hospital? And why didn't he kill me for my trespass?

Tomorrow I would go back to that house and confront whoever was there, hoping that what I've learned tonight would help me get the answers I was looking for. I prayed that, if it was the Demon Crow, the article was wrong about him being a murderer otherwise I would be in trouble.

I didn't get out as soon as I wanted to, having been up so late last night it only made sense that I overslept and then I had to go check on Jade as well. I decided to keep my findings to myself for now until I knew for sure and had some solid answers to share later. I figured I had about another two hours before the sun would start it's darkening descent and I knew my dad wouldn't wait up for me, assuming that I decided to stay with Jade for the night.

I ran straight for the trail to the old house with the mysterious boy I was dying to officially meet. I wasn't sure if it was just some prankster though a part of me hoped it was but most of me actually wished for it to really be the Demon Crow. The very idea of that scared me but the excitement of possibly getting to see something only believed to be something of fantasy. The very idea that something like him could even exist… I got chills just thinking about what he would look like and how his body functioned differently than humans. That is… if it really was the Demon Crow that went missing from the freak show so long ago though he should be long dead so it couldn't be… but I was hoping for some kind of proof of the impossible in this otherwise dulling world. I knew I wasn't welcome there but I was determined and couldn't be stopped.

By the time I reached the house, it was hard to see the fading light through the trees. It wasn't supposed to seem this dark yet but that was my fault for not having considered the roof of branches and leaves that would be above my head. The house looked as beautifully creepy as it had before though now it seemed to hold even more mystery than before. You would think the mystery would be taken away now that I knew to some degree what was in the house but the mystery that now surrounded the possible resident was enough to leave the whole house the same effect.

The door creaked open, a sound that vibrated the room and the flooring groaned under my feet as I passed through, my shoes creating prints in the dirt caked onto the aged wood. So cruelly withered by time, blotched spots of odd colors had grown on the walls, giving them the appearance to be misshapen. It was actually pretty quiet compared to the last time I was here and I actually had time to really look around. The outdated lighting fixtures were broken and out of place among the moss that hung from the ceiling. Black mold spread around this room like a disease where droplets of water quietly splashed to the floor. My eyes wandered in an eerie awe to the cracked windows so blinded by dust that the little sunlight they still managed to stream through were but thin rays littered with the particles that drifted in the air.

"Hello? I know you're here." I shouted into the air as an announcement of my intrusion. There were those skittering steps again and while they still sent shivers down my spine I wasn't afraid of them anymore, knowing that this person was kind at least to some degree… though my gut told me to retain caution. "Please just show yourself, I'm not here to hurt you or to get rid of you. I just want to talk about what happened to my friend." the following silence was unnerving and I found myself checking over my shoulder every few seconds in case it had gotten behind me and did want to hurt me. Just like last time the silence went on and I knew whoever was here still didn't want to meet with me. "I know who you are." I informed the other with a kind voice, showing him that I was trying to keep this as pleasant as possible. "And like I said, I'm not here to hurt you in anyway. I'm not afraid of you." I sighed when I still wasn't answered though the atmosphere seemed to shift slightly from doomed to tense, whether that was a good thing or bad... I didn't know. "You're the Demon Crow that disappeared ages ago from that old freak show, aren't you?" there's that doom again. "They're a circus now but they're still run by the Scratch family. If you got lost here a long time ago, I can give the manager a call and let them know that you're-" a large fluttering of wings had me throwing my arms up to protect my head from the sudden hurricane of wind shaking the house. I had a dreadful feeling in my stomach as I turned my head upward only to see the flash of someone coming down on me. When I next opened my eyes I was laying on the ground with my muscles slightly aching from the fall and an unfamiliar weight on top of me.

"I would kill you before I went back there!" the threatening voice echoed in sadness, the vibrant red eyes displayed anger that poorly tried to hide their fear.

"Okay- okay, I get it! I won't call! I won't- I promise!" as quick as these moments were, my eyes roamed the body over me, expecting the opposite of what I saw. With how long ago the Demon Crow had vanished I was expecting a really old man but the figure above me wasn't much older than myself. His skin was paler than I had seen on any human though it wasn't due to age, his blonde hair was dirty but in no way whitened or discolored at all, and the black wings tucked behind his back were healthy and sleek though not too well managed. The arms that held me down were black from the elbows down to the talons pointing off his hands and the freckles on his face seemed dark compared to his skin. "Whoa…" I mumbled to myself in awe.

"Why are you here?" he demanded, digging his talons into my shoulders painfully. I grunted and called out to make the angered boy stop hurting me.

"Thank you!" I shouted, stunning the other. At least he wasn't holding on so tightly anymore.

"What?"

"I just wanted to say thank you for taking Jade to the hospital and for… well, even bothering to tell me she was alright." the blonde boy seemed dumbfounded but then an annoyed face took over his features.

"Get the hell out of here!" he yelled, crawling off of me to kick me toward the door. "Go!" unsure if I was still on the verge of getting attacked and not wanting to upset the mysterious boy anymore than I already had, I shot up to my feet and took off. I got out the door with a loud slam and the surrounding birds took to flight, screeching at having been disturbed. It was much darker than before and I couldn't very well make out the trail I was supposed to be on as I ran in a panic.

Unsure of how far I ran and exactly where I was now, I kept running with fear pumping in my veins. Something was following me, I could hear it and feel it's eyes watching me. The winged boy must have come after me because I knew too much and needed to be silenced. The trees were too thick and close together to try for a backward glance and with how I already had to feel for the next tree as I ran in the darkening night, I didn't dare stop for anything. I was confused when I heard a growl from behind me, having heard nothing like that from the boy I thought I was running from. I heard it close- too close… it was attacking! I tried to make myself run faster but my legs couldn't meet the demand and I thought I was finished. I didn't stop and turn around until I heard the huge wings of the Demon Crow and whatever had been growling start to whimper. Behind me was a sphere of black feathers that expanded as the wings opened from their curled position. The mysterious boy stood up, blood dripping from one of his hands.

I could make out the large dog standing in front of my savior, four clawed cuts on its side that bled though not badly. The dog's ears were bent down and it whimpered as it turned and ran off. Tension returned to crush upon my moment of gaping awe as the other turned around to glare hard at me.

"What?" the other just shook his head obviously upset as he faced forward again and started walking, motioning me to follow him. "Was that a dog?" I called as I jogged to catch up though I wasn't even spared a glance. I was about to give up on conversation when an irritated voice filled my ears.

"Stray dogs wander in here looking for food and become feral. If I didn't scratch it, it would've eaten you." pointed black fingers scratched through the blonde hair atop the creature's head. "Damn thing's been trying to eat the birds around here for weeks."

"You too?" the winged boy actually stopped and turned around to give me the most incredulous look I had ever seen. "What? You're a bird too, right?" the Demon Crow shook his head and continued on once more, opting to ignore me. "Thank you, for not letting the dog eat me." I wasn't answered so I kept quiet after that.

We got back to the house and I followed the other boy in, feeling much less scared of this place now that I knew its secrets. We came to an old staircase in another room that creaked with every step we took in our descent along with the scraping sound I had heard before. My eyes trailed down to see that around where the inhuman boy's knees should start bird-like legs began and bird feet complete with talons replaced that of a human's. Just like his arms, his legs were blackened and had that rough look to them.

"How do you walk?" the question slipped through my lips before I could think about how it could be taken.

"How do you?" the other snapped back, my eyes finally leaving the legs I was caught staring at to see the glowing red eyes piercing into me which made me feel hotter like I was on fire. I guess his looks could kill and- yikes! His gaze was set on me! I chuckled nervously and forced my gaze away.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. I'm just curious." at least that made the blonde face forward again.

"Curiosity killed the cat." he said with a threatening voice.

"Haha um… yeah, but I'm sure you heard that satisfaction brought it back." I laughed dryly, trying to lighten the mood but it only made the winged boy tense tense. At the bottom of the stairs was a heavy looking metal door. He pulled it open with more ease than I had been expecting for such a thick door. "What is this place?" my question went without an answer. The floor was cracked and dusty though I could see tracks in it like someone tried to sweep it up but there was just too much. The walls were made of white stone and surprisingly not a single one was out of place as I had been expecting. There were rusted sinks and water damage lines running down the metal doors of a wall of cabinets. In the middle of the room were three long tables that I slowly realized weren't tables. We were in a morgue. I felt my stomach drop when I noticed the blood in one of the sinks.

The bird boy walked to a cabinet full of medical supplies and started pulling things out. This got me nervous... I didn't know this person, what he was capable of, or what his intentions were. Though in honesty, I didn't get a bad feeling from him even with his violent outbursts and threats on my life.

"What are those for?" the question was simple enough though my voice made it sound frightened.

"Cleaning your shoulders." the blonde answered, not seeming to have taken offense. Maybe he understood my hesitance in the situation. I looked down at my shoulders, spots of blood swelling through my shirt and jacket. They didn't hurt anymore so I had actually forgotten about them but maybe he felt bad for hurting me? I looked at the other as he set everything up at one of the tables and motioned me to him. I sat down where told to and took off my jacket and even my shirt when told to. He wasted no time cleaning the ten wounds, only speaking to tell me they weren't too deep as to need stitches but still not to do anything crazy with my arms so I didn't agitate them. He didn't seem very appreciative when I asked if he was a doctor, he actually stopped working to glare at me until I apologized. The silence stretched on as he worked, ignoring my hiss at the sting of the medicine from time to time. "Is her leg broken?" my eyes widened at the smooth voice that suddenly spoke to me as the tone he had used up to this point was rough and irritated but this was casual, apologetic almost. But my expression turned sad at the thought of Jade's current state.

"Yeah… but the doctor said she would make a full recovery and be walking on her own again in no time." I reassured though there was no sound from the other. "Um, no offense but… why do you care?" a long span went by where everything was silent, the only sound being the fluttering of the birds' wings outside the house.

"I felt guilty." he finally said, his voice small and regretful which made me sad- even more so by looking at his downcast red eyes.

"She told me what happened and she said it wasn't your fault. We don't blame you so you shouldn't either." again there was a long silence but I didn't press for a response and just let the bird boy take that in. When enough time had passed with nothing said between us, I thought it would be okay ask a few more questions. "So, what do I call you?"

"Nothing. We're not friends and we're not going to see each other again after this." he snapped it out like a demand but his eyes told of a different feeling… one of loneliness. I didn't know what else to say so I shut my mouth.

After the winged boy was finished tending to my wounds he offered to walk me to the edge of the forest so I didn't get attacked again. He led me around like a perfect GPS tuned into my every step, often having to redirect me when I strayed. His footsteps were muted, I could barely make them out even when he stepped on dead branches that my feet crunched loudly. Listening to these differences really made me hear the songs the forest played. The wind swaying the leaves in the trees whistled a tune that set the rhythm the rest of the environment and the inhabitants played to. Even the crow person who guided me was entirely one with this forest as his footsteps always fell in line with the music. I was the only thing here that disrupted the flow… an obvious outsider.

After a few more minutes the boy stopped entirely and it made me nervous, thinking that there was something dangerous around. Instead he turned and looked at him with a unbelieving and almost impressed expression.

"Are you trying to tune into the forest?" I shrunk a little like I had done something wrong. I felt like a little kid caught trying to match the footsteps of the person that walked in front of them though he looked at me like he didn't know whether to be offended or proud.

"Yeah…" I muttered softly. "I was the only thing out of place and it didn't sound right." the other just stared at me before nodding and continuing forward. I smiled to myself, thinking he was proud- even if just a little.

After another few minutes passed in silence, the bird boy stopped and pointed ahead of him.

"Keep going straight for about another hundred yards and you'll come to a break in the trees. Just passed that is the trail, turn left on it and you'll reach town in just another few minutes." I nodded quickly, taking in the information. I spun around when I realized the other had walked passed me and was leaving.

"Um… Crow? Can I call you Crow?" the boy stopped and looked back at me, no objections spoken so I took it as being fine. "I won't tell anyone that you're here, Jade and I can spread more rumors that the monster broke her leg." I smiled, wanting to be helpful in some way to him in order to make up for all he had done for me. I was disappointed to receive a blank expression and a shaking head.

"No that'll only lead to more investigation, it's best no one knows that she was here and thinks she broke her leg at home." now that he mentioned it, that was true… and I felt kind of foolish now for not seeing it that way to begin with.

"Wow that's smart. You've really given this a lot of thought, haven't you?"

"How do you think I've survived this long without getting found out?" I nodded more to myself, knowing that he had to have played a rather deceitful part in this whole thing in order to keep everyone out. But… there was another question added to my long list of them.

"How long have you been here?" the other stared at the ground in sadness for a long while and I could practically see the memories crossing by his bright red eyes.

"A long time… too long." with that he turned and walked the way we had come, his steps no longer matching the forest's tune as he was now filled with depression. Now I felt bad.

"Thank you," I called, hoping to cheer him up at least a little bit before we parted but he disappeared into the trees without a sign that he had even heard me. "...for everything." with a sad sigh, I walked my own path. I would head home for tonight and tomorrow, I would tell Jade all about the winged boy living in the haunted house in the forest.

* * *

I'll post the 3rd chapter before we head for home and sorry if you think it's moving too fast.


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